Michigan Democrats And Republicans Greenlight Ballot Proposal To Raise Sales Tax To 7%

So we ended up getting a real lump of coal for Christmas from our cowardly legislators who waited till the 11th hour to dump a road proposal on us and then run for the hills claiming Christmas break. 

 Jase Bolger and Randy Richardville on the Republican side Gretchen Whitmer and Tim Grimell on the Democrat side have decided to push through a plan that will raise our sales tax to 7% (so for every $100 you give Lansing $7) . They are also eliminating our sales tax on gas (which is a bait and switch) and now taxing wholesale gas. This bait and switch will raise our gas prices by 5 cents, so for every $100 of gas $5 goes to Lansing.  

The Leadership Behind The Sale Tax And Gas Tax Increase Ballot Proposal

These tax and spenders will say we can afford it because the price of gas is now $2. Again this is a bait and switch, as gas prices will surely rise again to the $4 level. One war, one hurricane, one oil refinery fire is all that it will take. 

Also part of this package gives public transportation another $100 million of our hard earned dollars on an annual basis. If public transportation is so viable, why can't it self sustain itself? 

Voters get to vote on this but our sneaky legislators decided May would be the best time to vote on this issue, so they can get their camp to get this to passing. They know very well that May has very low voter turn out.

Several legislators questioned the need for a tax increase including Republican State Senator Patrick Colbeck and Republican State Representative Tom McMillin. 

Senator Colbeck stated recently " Here are some simple

Senator Patrick Colbeck 

facts for Michiganians to consider. When I started my service in the Legislature four years ago, our state budget was $46.8 billion. The last budget that we enacted for FY2014-2015 was $53.1 billion. That is an increase of $6.3 billion — $1.1 billion of that went toward education; $840 million has already gone toward our roads. That leaves $4.3 billion unaccounted for in our list of budget priorities. What are the odds that folks would find most, if not all, of the spending items associated with this $4.3 billion less important than fixing our roads?"

Commenting on the Detroit News Headline ‘Voters will be asked for tax increase to fix roads’  State Representative Tom McMillin who is against this tax increase stated, "This headline is actually very

false. Almost none of the 1% increase in sales tax goes to roads - it will go to schools, to the low-income and to local governments. If the sales tax hike in May fails, it is true that all the bills in this road funding package is repealed." 

Tom also said Governor Snyder saying that the additional cost for gas being a nickle or less is misleading.  He said "The gas tax will actually be about 12 cents higher.....going from 19 cents to 14.9% (with a minimum of 41 cents per gallon - but you have to take into effect that the 6% sales tax is removed)."

Tom also stated later “I've never seen the Dems so engaged on the floor with legislation - obviously they have a lot of say in the gas tax increase package.”

Norm Hughes Chair of the Michigan Conservative Union went so far as to write the legislators with 5 strong key points as to why any tax increase to fix the road is not needed. 

++ OUR MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE: (Sent 3:00 PM 12/18/14)Dear Legislator; We are grateful you are not voting a tax increase today and WE ASK YOU TO VOTE NO on the ballot proposal!!!
 While all details of the "transportation fix" are not known to us yet, the bottom line is it increases taxes on several fronts. It CONTINUES to grow governments on the State and local levels and seeks to impose inter-state taxes that may violate the U.S. Constitution. It does not repeal prevailing wage laws and does not assure more competitive and more frugal purchase of government construction. It throws money at the problem instead of make frugal choices like our families must. 1) You have already grown State government at a brisk pace. The budget is up 16% - seven BILLION dollars in just four years. Georgia has 100,000 more people and provides adequate state services for $ 10 Billion a year less.
 2) Spending more than a billion dollars a week, Michigan certainly can find a few more dollars for roads if that is a true priority. If $1 Billion were a true need and priority, that requires a roll-back of just 2% of the budget elsewhere.
 3) We have seen no details on how or why local road spending needs to increase 73% as the Governor proposes. Grand Traverse has already passed it's own road funding increase, and Lapeer rejected an increase. The decision on local funding needs to be made on the county or local level where residents and voters know best, the need and affordability. THE need for an annual $1.2 BILLION INCREASE in perpetuity is NOT exhibited or proven.
 4) People are still hurting in this state. Unemployed and underemployed and senior families cannot afford more taxes increases. They already have been hit by millions of dollars in tax and fee increases.
 5) Raising more taxes will stifle the fledgling and sporadic economic growth Michigan is supposedly seeing.
Michigan took great steps towards improving the chances for jobs by passing Michigan Freedom To Work labor freedom laws, and changing the business tax structure.

Then it undermined those gains by going on a binge of government growth and increasing personal taxes. The trend has been towards protecting government income, instead of citizens. Let’s hope the new legislature will take a serious look at ALL expenditures and regulations and get governments off our backs and out of our purses.

Voters Do Not Want a Gas Tax Increase: 60.5% of voters oppose any road tax increase.
 “The statewide survey of 600 likely voters May 20-22 found 45.5 percent say the state already has enough moneyto spend on roads, and that the current pot of fuel taxes and vehicle fees needs to be better spent. Another 15 percent reject a small tax increase and say that while extra money for roads and bridges may be needed, it should be found elsewhere in the state budget.” From The Detroit News:http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140528/METRO/305280144…

We encourage you to vote against putting this scheme on the ballot and let the next legislature have a fresh look at expenditures and regulations, and alternatives to fix our roads.
This will be a rated vote.
 Thank you for serving, and best wishes for a wonderful and reverent HOLYday season.
Norm Hughes I, ChairMichigan Conservative UnionOxford, Mi. 48371